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“In towns and cities... there is no more important institution than the local paper.”
Warren Buffett
March 17, 2026
Staff Report
The La Mirada City Council has canceled the June municipal election for two council districts at its March 17 meeting after only one candidate filed for each seat, allowing both candidates to be appointed rather than elected.
According to a staff report, the nomination period for the June 2, 2026 municipal election closed March 6 with only two individuals submitting paperwork: John Lewis for District 1 and Michelle Velasquez Bean for District 2.
Under California election law, when the nomination period closes and the number of candidates does not exceed the number of seats available, a city council may either appoint the candidates to office or proceed with the election anyway. La Mirada officials are recommending the council appoint both candidates and cancel the election for those districts.
The resolution before the council states that Lewis will be appointed to represent District 1 and Velasquez Bean will be appointed to represent District 2, each serving a four-year term.
With the adoption of the resolution, the June 2 election will be formally cancelled, saving the city the cost of conducting a vote in districts where no contested race exists.
City officials noted that the two appointees would qualify, take office, and serve exactly as if they had been elected through the normal municipal election process.